History of the Toll House Located at Oakley Museum

The Toll House located on the property of the Oakley
Farm in Freehold Township is one of only 2 remaining
in the State of New Jersey as of 2006. It was built
ca. 1850. Toll Houses came into being in the mid to
late 18th century. They were usually owned and operated
by a coop of farmers living along a main road. The farmers
would ‘man the gate’ and charge $.05 for
single horse and $.10 for 2 horses.

The reason for the Toll House was to help the farmers
pay for upkeep of the road. In the early days of travel
all roads were dirt, clay, sand, etc. If they were not
kept graded (level) the horse could possibly break an
ankle or you could lose a wheel on the buggy or wagon
and it could take several days to get it fixed. If your
horse broke an ankle or leg you would have no transportation.
Therefore it was in the best interest of the farmers
to have the road kept up. It is not known how many of
these structures were in the state originally but suffice
it to say that they were probably stationed along all
major thorofares in the state.

The Toll House located at Oakley Farm once stood at
the corner of Rt. 537 and Burlington Rd. and is a Historic
Landmark Site. The present Main St. (Rte. 537) was built
in 1798. It was nothing but 2 tracks thru sandy soil.
The original road, or trail (also known as the Burlington
Path), traversed between the present Administration
Building for Township Schools(on Rt. 537 and also known
as the original West Freehold School ca.1935) and the
Barkalow School on Stillwells Crnr. Rd. It continued
past the Baptist Cemetery on Barkalow Ave. and came
out on W. Main St. in Freehold at McLean St..

This new road, from Freehold to Smithburg (5 miles)
was called the Freehold-Smithburg Turnpike and was a
toll road. There was a Toll House and Gate at W. Freehold
Village intersection diagonally across from original
Moore’s Tavern/Inn. This establishment was originally
built by Moses Mount around 1793 and at that time West
Freehold was known as Mount’s Corner.

Athough the Tollhouse was on the Northeast Corner, the
gate was hinged on the opposite Southeast Corner of
the road. The toll keeper would collect fees and turn
them over to the shareholders of the coop for a return
on their investment and for upkeep of the road.

At Elk’s Point in what is now Freehold Boro there
was a plank road on the westerly side of the Burlington
Path (Main St.) which is now known as Rt. 79. Those
who did not choose to pay the toll used the old and
poorer road alongside. By the 1850’s roads in
the area included the Matawan to Freehold Rd.(Rt.79).
The Lakewood to Freehold Rd. and the Jamesburg to Freehold
Rd.(Rt.522). These were all dirt roads at that time.

On February 20, 1850 the Monmouth County Plank Rd. Co.
was incorporated to build a plank road from Freehold
Village(boro) through Marlboro village into what was then
known as Middletown Point (now Matawan).